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We will be staying in the Loire Valley next summer for 2 weeks next summer and whilst hubby & I enjoy Chateau's and the like, we will need something for the kids every now and then, especially as we will staying on a blissfully quiet site!. Our kids will be 13 & 12.

Can anyone recommend any exciting places that we could take the kids for the day? Within, say an hour of Tours?

Thanks in advance!

Claire.

Can't help with personal recommendations, yet, as we're not off to Loire until October but in readiness for our trip I have just ordered a copy of Rough Guide to the Loire, I swear by the Rough Guides wherever i go in the world.

Mel

Grand Parc Puy du Fou at Cholet (1 and a half hours), Zoo de Doue (half an hour), Musee des Blindes (Saumur - 20 mins). Loads of chateaus, parks, wine tours etc. Our two lads have been to a treetop adventure park today with guests staying here and had a whale of a time! There's shopping, canoeing/kayaking on the Loire, walks, bike rides, swimming in the lakes and rivers. Fishing....

There's so much to do here it's unreal!

I agree with the above, but Puy du Fou must be more than 90 mins from Tours. We took nearly two hours from Saumur which is about 40 miles nearer. Perhaps try Futuroscope near Poitiers - about 60 miles from Tours and totally brilliant.

http://uk.futuroscope.com/ 

We take an hour and a half from our house to Cholet. Then again we live here and we pretty much know the way now. You can take longer if there are queues to get in on the roads leading up to Le Grand Parc.

Not been to Futuroscope yet, but I doubt it's better than Puy du Fou. (just my opinion as I love explosions & sword fights & stuff).

If Futuroscope is within reach then so is La Valle des Singes just below Poitiers. Definately worth a visit. Its a wildlife park exclusively for apes & monkeys and many of them are free to roam amongst the public. Its a fascinating place.

Quote: Originally posted by Floydfan on 29/8/2006

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Grand Parc Puy du Fou at Cholet (1 and a half hours), Zoo de Doue (half an hour), Musee des Blindes (Saumur - 20 mins). Loads of chateaus, parks, wine tours etc. Our two lads have been to a treetop adventure park today with guests staying here and had a whale of a time! There's shopping, canoeing/kayaking on the Loire, walks, bike rides, swimming in the lakes and rivers. Fishing....

i have to agree with these. the zoo is the best we have been to. also you are not far from futurascope. have fun.

There's so much to do here it's unreal!

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Hi Flagpole,

I have just spent the last hour reading your web pages. Your holiday sounds like it was lovely. What a lovely family you have. Give Lucy a big hug from me, she is a very brave young lady.

Wishing you all the best

Sue

We had a great time with my parents and DD (6) a couple of years ago.  We went boating on the river at Chenonceau, we visited the hunt kennels at Cheverny and saw the hounds being fed (not for the squeamish!), we had a lovely day at Chambord where there was a "dancing horse" spectacular and a little market.  At Amboise we went to a Son et Lumiere one night which DD loved.  Can't remember much more but it was a great holiday, I'm sure you'll enjoy it ...